Team Bath MCTA Tennis player Marcus Daniell went mighty close to pulling off a shock result while representing New Zealand in the first round of the men’s doubles at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Sunday. Daniell and partner Michael Venus got off to a storming start against the number seven seeds from Canada, Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil, as they won the first set 6-4. However, their opponents levelled by winning the second set...
It’s finally here – today’s the day the Rio 2016 Olympic Games officially get under way! What is sure to be a colourful, vibrant and spectacular opening ceremony will start the XXXI Olympiad at 8pm Rio time (midnight in the UK). Fifteen University of Bath-based athletes will be in action over the next 16 days, hoping to emulate the likes of Dr Stephanie Cook (modern pentathlon), Jason Gardener (athletics), Kate Howey (judo) and Michael Jamieson...
The academic year may be over but there is no let-up in the sporting action at the University of Bath, with the Sports Training Village playing host to thousands of athletes of all ages during a busy July. This week’s big event is the 19th Team Bath CoMpete Open Tennis Festival, taking place on the indoor and outdoor courts every day until Saturday, July 23. Hundreds of tennis players from around the country are competing...
Tennis ace Marcus Daniell says he is “buzzing” after being selected for Rio 2016 – and hopes his Olympic adventure will encourage more players to join the Team Bath MCTA Academy. Daniell will represent his native New Zealand in a star-studded Olympic men’s doubles competition featuring newly-crowned Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Selection comes four years after Daniell moved his training base to the University of Bath, during which time he...
Anna Smith’s Wimbledon adventure has come to an end for 2016 after the Team Bath MCTA Tennis player and partner Neal Skupski were knocked out of the mixed doubles competition. They went into Wednesday’s match against Aisam Qureshi of Pakistan and Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova on a high after recovering from 5-2 down in the final set to stun top seeds Ivan Dodig (Croatia) and Sania Mirza (India). However, despite bouncing back from an early break in...
The world class facilities at the Sports Training Village today welcomed the South West's top young sporting talent as part of Sport England's School Games Festival. School pupils from Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucester who had qualified through previous competitions took part in the regional event, which was organised by the West of England Sports Trust (Wesport). The event was opened by London 2012 shooter Georgina Geikie - the...
Team Bath MCTA Tennis coach Melanie South will take on Wimbledon legend Martina Navratilova at SW19 on Wednesday after receiving a late call-up into the ladies’ invitational doubles competition. South, who was ranked in the world’s top 100 during her playing career, will partner fellow Brit Anne Keothavong against nine-time ladies’ singles champion Navratilova and Selima Sfar on Number 3 Court at 11.30am. Marion Bartoli, the 2013 Wimbledon champion, was due to partner Keothavong in...
Team Bath MCTA Tennis player Anna Smith is celebrating arguably the best result of her career after she and mixed doubles partner Neal Skupski beat the number one seeds at Wimbledon. Smith and Skupski looked to be heading for a valiant second-round exit to Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and Sania Mirza of Indonesia when they trailed 5-2 in the third and final set. However, the Brits then reeled off five successive games – saving four match...
Team Bath MCTA Tennis player Anna Smith and doubles partner Jocelyn Rae could take plenty of positives from their appearance on ‘People’s Sunday’ at Wimbledon. The Great Britain Federation Cup pairing put up a tremendous fight against the number four seeds from Russia, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, on Number 3 Court before going down 7-5 4-6 6-4. Smith tweeted: “Loved every minute being out there with this legend @JossRae91. Thank you for all the...
With just five weeks to go until the Olympic Games get under way, Team Bath MCTA Tennis player Marcus Daniell today became the 12th University of Bath-based athlete to be officially selected for Rio 2016. The 26-year-old will be mixing it with the likes of Andy and Jamie Murray after being named alongside Michael Venus in the men’s doubles by his native New Zealand. It continues a meteoric rise for Daniell, who was 398th in...
